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Property in France - Rules 1 And 2 For Buying French Property
When you hear stories of buying property in France you get a mixture of tales of absolute bargains and complete nightmares. Like most things, the truth lies somewhere between the two. Depending on where you come from there may be great deals to be had but unless you are actually French there are a few secrets to coping well with buying French property.
Rule number one has to be to learn to speak French. You don't have to be fluent, but the more you can understand the easier you make things on yourself. There are plenty of English speaking French estate agents, of course, and it's a popular job for ex-pats, but I've always found it best dealing with the French.
Rule number two is to be sensible about it. Apply the same principals to buying a French house as you would a home in your own country. Sounds obvious but I've lost count of the number of people I've met who say "I just fell in love with it". What, without proper research? Without finding out if the plumbing actually works? I've known people buy houses over here without having actually seen them!
Here's the thing. On the one hand buying French property is very simple. You see something you like, you agree a price, you pay a deposit. But hang on a minute, once you sign an agreement to buy (compromis de vente) you are agreeing to pay a 10% deposit - and it's not refundable. Try pulling out of the deal and you could very likely loose that deposit. Not only that but under French law the seller could sue you for the remainder of the full asking price!
In reality, the system is actually a delight compared to some - the UK system for example. There is no price hiking - in France the price advertised is the maximum the property can be sold for. Once the compromis de vente is signed, very little can stop the deal going through. If someone comes along the day after with a better offer it's too late - which is great protection for you as the buyer.
You can see how that compromis de vente becomes a very important document and signing it without proper consideration could be signing away your life savings. On the other hand, the bright side of the story, in all but extreme cases it does secure your dream French home.
Now the French estate agent's job is to get you to sign it, of course, but you don't have to just accept it as is. If there's anything you're not sure of, get it written in. If your purchase is subject to you getting a mortgage, get that included. Surveys are not particularly common in France but if you want one, get that added. If it's subject to the heating working or some kind of planning permission, get that added. The agent may try to resist but it's up to you to be strong if those things are important to you.
Of course the seller is perfectly at liberty to reject your conditions! Buying French property is a negotiation, as it is anywhere else. Just make sure you keep your brain in gear. If you are at all concerned, back out before you sign. It might be your dream home but believe me, there will be another one. The french property market is overflowing with old farmhouses and barns to convert. I know it's tempting to cave in, particularly if your partner is very keen, but at the very least walk away and come back tomorrow. You know what they say about acting in haste!
About the Author
For more info about property in Franceand a light-hearted but informative view of all things French pop over to Frenchlife4real.com. It's written by an English-speaking ex-pat living and working in France full-time so whether you're coming on vacation, or thinking of moving to France permanently, it's well worth a read.
